Remote Control Blinds

Choosing automatic vertical blinds is never easy, because you have to consider many aspects that in their turn influence others. For example, models often depend on the material, that is to say, wood, PVC, aluminum, metal or composite, and, depending on the material, renovation and maintenance are different.

Besides worrying about aesthetics, maintenance and renovation, you also have to think about the price, about the insulating/temperature control capacity and about the safety of your house. Obviously, you want the best in everything, but how do you know what is the best? What if you cannot have everything and you have to choose one characteristic in favor of another?

Cleaning and Routine Maintenance

Whatever the material of your fitted vertical blinds, you must clean them regularly, especially if you live in a polluted environment. So, remember to clean the rails if you have automatic vertical blinds. Lubricate the hinges in order to avoid rusting. If your shutters are made of PVC, aluminum or composite, you can clean them with soapy water. You can use a rag to clean wooden shutters or aluminum.

Renovation of the Automatic Vertical Blinds

When you buy your shutters, they are sometimes treated with insecticide, fungicide, repellent, to be protected against insects, fungus and moss, but also damage caused by water. However, it is preferable to apply a new coat of paint or stain up to 3 months after making the purchase. Thereafter, you should also apply regular coats of stain or paint. In order to obtain better results, you can include in the paint a treatment in an autoclave, recommended for when your shutters start to rot or become sensitive to humidity.

Renovation of the Metal Components

The metal components require special attention as well, because they can easily rust. Thus, it is advisable to take measures to prevent corrosion. The best way to begin is by sanding the shutters to remove the old paint. Then, the painting can be renewed. Finally, a layer of varnish will durably protect the flap.

Replacement of the Metal Parts

If necessary, you can replace only the metal parts surrounding the main components, as they can be found under budget prices. You can find espagnolettes, stops or hinges sold in pieces, as there are quite a few cheap deals available online. When the weather is nice, outside activities become a lot more pleasant. It is the perfect time to upgrade each component of your home blinds system and start any new painting projects. Before applying the paint on your automatic vertical blinds, you must prepare the surface, in order for the paint to adhere well to the surface and resist over time. The old paint can be removed through chemical or thermal treatments. Anyway, sandpaper remains the best tool when it comes to polishing surfaces.

Components Protection Measures

Depending on the material of your automatic vertical blinds, you should apply treatments to protect the flap. Thus, the timber will need a layer of glaze, in order to allow the wood to stay ventilated, and not get damaged. It is advisable to renew the glaze layer every 3 years. The metal component, however, will need a protection layer against rust. If you want to have fewer operations to perform, you can use directly an undercoating.

How to Choose the Paint for the Roller and Apply It Correctly

You cannot use just any paint, since it must withstand the weather and sunlight. In terms of exterior paint, you can choose between acrylic paint glycerol paint. However, keep in mind that, although the glycerol painting is more resistant, the lacquer remains the best choice.

When painting, have your automatic vertical blinds dismounted and lying flat in order to work more easily. Remember to paint the iron parts if necessary, as they are sensitive to rust and their damaging can influence the aspect and functioning of the other components. If you wish, we can put you in touch with one or more professionals in your area, and even try to get you a discount. To renovate your automatic vertical blinds, you must take several steps before repainting, like running a stripping and sanding. We will introduce you to this processes every step of the way. The best way to begin is to strip a section to remove all the traces of the old paint. You must first choose your method of pickling, which is very effective, but can be toxic to the wood. The thermal stripping is simple, but you must be careful in order not to get burned.

For your safety, it is important to use the proper equipment when renovating your automatic vertical blinds: stool or ladder, protective gloves, goggles, wire brush or sandpaper, brushes (one to apply the cleaner, another for the rust), stripper, spatula, brush. You will find the necessary materials in a DIY store. For cleaner, you can opt for a product based on potassium or soda if you have thick and old layers of paint. But be careful, as this product may stain the wood shutters. For a less aggressive solution, you can choose a product containing solvents.

If you have wooden shutters, you can find the products you need at a very low cost. In order to pick the first component to strip, get yourself a stool or a scale if your shutters are on the ground floor. It is essential to have someone to lend you a hand, as the components of the automatic vertical blinds can be quite heavy. If you are not confident, do not hesitate to get help from several people or hire a professional. Remove all the metal parts, such as hinges or hasp. Beware if the fitters are rusty: they can break when you unscrew them. To avoid this, you can heat the wood, so that it shrinks and make the unscrewing process easier.

To treat rust, rub the iron with a wire brush to remove it, then apply the anti-corrosion treatment with a brush. It may appear difficult, but if you take things one at a time, your automatic vertical blinds will look like new in no time.

We supply and fit motorised blind systems Nationwide, recently we have fit remote control blinds in Lincoln, London, Slough, Chesterfield and High Wycombe.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us using the details below.

Electric Blinds can be controlled either by wall switch, or via hand held remote controls.

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Electric Blinds Video

This Video shows 2 short samples of our work, the first is a luxury electric blind package we installed in a penthouse flat, the second is a roller roof blind system we fitted to a conservatory roof...

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